Dungog, New South Wales

Dungog is a country town on the Williams River in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia.[6][7] Located in the middle of dairy and timber country, it is the centre of the Dungog Shire local government area and at the 2016 census it had a population of 2,025 people.[1] The area includes the Fosterton Loop, 22 kilometres (14 mi) of road, used in the annual Pedalfest. A small portion of Dungog lies in the Mid-Coast Council LGA.[6][7]

Dungog
New South Wales
View of Dungog from Hospital Road
Dungog
Coordinates32°23′54″S 151°45′09″E
Population2,025 (2016 census)[1]
Postcode(s)2420
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10)
 • Summer (DST)AEDT (UTC+11)
Location
LGA(s)
RegionHunter
CountyDurham[2]
ParishDungog[2]
State electorate(s)Upper Hunter[3]
Federal Division(s)Lyne[4]
Mean max temp[5] Mean min temp[5] Annual rainfall[5]
28.3 °C
83 °F		 3.6 °C
38 °F		 1,151.8 mm
45.3 in
Localities around Dungog:
Sugarloaf Bendolba, Fosterton Alison
Tabbil Creek Dungog Alison
Tabbil Creek Tabbil Creek Alison

History

The traditional owners of the area now known as Dungog are the Gringai clan of the Wonnarua people, a group of Aboriginal Australian people.[8]

By 1825 Robert Dawson had named the Barrington area, while surveyor Thomas Florance named the Chichester River in 1827. Two years later George Boyle White explored the sources of the Allyn and Williams rivers. Grants along the Williams followed to men such as Duncan Mackay, John Verge, James Dowling (later a NSW Chief Justice) and others, who, with their assigned convicts, began clearing land and building houses around a district that was by the early 1830s centred on a small settlement first known as Upper William. With a Court of Petty Sessions in 1833 and gazetted in 1838 as the village of Dungog (a local Gringai word), it had a court house, lockup and an increasing number of inns, shops and houses.

Lord St, as were Dowling, Mackay, Chapman, Hooke, Brown and Myles, were all named after landowners at the time surveyor Francis Rusden drew up his generous 1838 grid plan of Dungog's streets. The descendants of some of these, notably the Dowlings, Mackays and Hookes, still live in and around Dungog. Others, such as John Lord, went bankrupt or, as did Myles, sold out early and moved to Sydney.

Dungog village gradually grew from a mere 25 houses in the 1846 census (three of stone or brick). By 1854, four licences for publicans were granted in Dungog: James Stephenson, Dungog Inn; Joseph Finch, Settlers' Arms; Joseph Robson, Trades' Arms; and Edward Tate, Durham Hotel. Two of these continue to operate today.

The plan and street pattern of 1838 gave Dungog generous sized lots that, over the years, have allowed people to build homes with ample space in between, as well as to enjoy cow and horse paddocks close by. Before the 1920s there was relatively little building beyond Lord St. John Wilson, born in Dungog in 1854, described the town as a 'sea of bush and scrub, with a house here and there', and with bullock teams and drays having 'to wend their way between stumps and saplings'. Even in 1892, at the opening of Dungog Cottage Hospital on Hospital Hill to the west, the trek up was largely through open countryside.

Boosted by the dairy industry, which began to develop in the 1890s, Dungog grew more rapidly, receiving a further boost with the arrival of the railway in 1911. Many of the finest houses and commercial buildings still to be seen here were built between the end of the nineteenth and the first two decades of the following century. Coolalie (206 Dowling St) and Coimbra (72 Dowling St), as well as the then Angus & Coote, now J A Rose building (146-148 Dowling St) and the Dark stores (184-190 Dowling St) all date from this period of expansion. All, as the Dungog Chronicle continuously proclaimed, were 'up to date', and as the Dungog Chronicle also pointed out, modern improvements such as the 'water service and electric light service has made Dungog a desirable place to live in'. The architects and builders used for these projects were locals; such as C H Button, Town Clerk and architect, or J A Hall, builder, as well as those from Maitland, such as architect J A Pender.

Around 1926, Dowling Street was first fully kerbed and the present alignment of the shop facades was established. Money and new businesses were entering the town at this time. While things may have slowed a little thereafter, many new buildings and houses continued to be built in the following years. The Catholic community built a new place of worship in Brown St in 1933, replacing the church that had stood in Dowling St since 1870 (where the Tall Timbers Motel now stands). In 1935 the Bank of NSW replaced its old building on the corner of Dowling and Mackay Sts with one in the, then, very modern Georgian Revival Style.

The Second World War was just beginning when the Dungog Chronicle reported: Recent weeks have seen a progressive building campaign in Dungog. Apart from the palatial new building for the Royal Hotel erected and furnished at a cost of some £20,000, and remodelling of the Court House Hotel and Bank Hotel, nine new residences have been completed within the past month.

In addition to these works, the Education Department is clearing and grading the playing grounds at the public school, and has erected an ornate brick fence along those grounds on the Dowling-street frontage, whilst the Municipal Council has had two chains of kerbing and guttering carried out in Mary-street. (Dungog Chronicle, 24 November 1939)

Since the 1950s, few new public buildings and shops have been erected but homes have continued to be built in weatherboard, brick, fibro or concrete; following the fashions of the time. While dairying has declined, the beef industry has remained, and although most timber is now locked up in national parks, many visitors come these days to enjoy the area's natural beauty. This trend has also meant that numerous older homes have been saved from deterioration by 'tree-changers', who have increasingly bought and renovated older homes in Dungog and its surrounding countryside.[9]

Heritage listings

Dungog has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Climate

Dungog has a mild humid subtropical climate (Cfa) with warm summers and cool winters.

Climate data for Chichester Dam
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 26.2
(79.2)		 24.9
(76.8)		 23.3
(73.9)		 20.2
(68.4)		 17.4
(63.3)		 14.2
(57.6)		 13.7
(56.7)		 15.5
(59.9)		 19.1
(66.4)		 21.4
(70.5)		 24.1
(75.4)		 26.6
(79.9)		 20.6
(69.1)
Average low °C (°F) 16.7
(62.1)		 16.7
(62.1)		 16.2
(61.2)		 12.7
(54.9)		 9.7
(49.5)		 7.0
(44.6)		 6.2
(43.2)		 6.9
(44.4)		 9.8
(49.6)		 12.1
(53.8)		 14.9
(58.8)		 17.2
(63.0)		 12.2
(54.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 161.9
(6.37)		 180.9
(7.12)		 173.6
(6.83)		 101.3
(3.99)		 91.9
(3.62)		 103.8
(4.09)		 52.1
(2.05)		 59.4
(2.34)		 61.1
(2.41)		 90.8
(3.57)		 106.5
(4.19)		 124.8
(4.91)		 1,311.3
(51.63)
Average precipitation days 12.4 13.0 13.2 10.4 10.5 11.4 9.4 8.4 8.4 10.3 11.1 11.7 130.2
Source: [11]

Population

According to the 2016 census of Population, there were 2,025 people in Dungog.

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 6.4% of the population.
  • 87.8% of people were born in Australia and 93.0% of people spoke only English at home.
  • The most common responses for religion were Anglican 29.2%, No Religion 18.4%, Catholic 18.3% and Presbyterian and Reformed 9.3%.[1]

Culture

Popular Dungog events are the Dungog Film Festival hosted at the James Theatre, the Dungog Agricultural Show, Pedalfest, the Dungog Rodeo, and the Thunderbolt Rally. Each of these events showcase local produce and talent and bring tourists to the region.

James Theatre

Dungog is the home of the James Theatre, the oldest fully enclosed purpose-built cinema continuously operating in Australia, located at 6 Brown Street. It receives new movie releases soon after cinemas in more populated areas. The Dungog Film Society has been operating from the cinema since 1992 and screens fine films monthly to locals as well as bringing Flickerfest to Dungog and an AGOG weekend of foreign films in September. The theatre is the venue for the Dungog Film Festival, which is held annually.

The theatre was first opened on land of James Stuart in December 1912. Originally an open-air theatre, it was roofed by 1914 and in 1918 an enclosed hall built. In order to accommodate "talkie" movies and to provide improved dance facilities, Stuart commissioned major reconstruction works that commenced in 1930. These works were designed by the Newcastle architect, William Jeater.[12]

The reconstruction works included construction of a stage, remodelling the street façade into the Spanish Mission Style, a new dance floor, new northern entrance, a projection room above the foyer and seating arrangement for 400.[12]

It retains the simplicity of a Picture Theatre built in a small country town during the Great Depression. The building is architecturally significant as one of only four Picture Theatres in the New South Wales with Spanish Mission Style facades. The James Theatre Dungog Community Centre has been owned by the Dungog Shire Council since 1979.

Dungog Film Festival
Main article: Dungog Film Festival

The Dungog Film Festival, inaugurated on 31 May 2007, was a film festival which served the dual purposes of encouraging the local tourism industry and showcasing Australian cinema. It used to take place over four days and some of the proceeds went towards preserving the James Theatre.[13][14][15] It used to be held annually in May and was open to Australian filmmakers only. It did not operate in 2013 and in 2014 was replaced by the broader festival of the arts, the Dungog Festival, which is now held on the October Long Weekend.

The screenings were shown in local venues including the James Theatre and the RSL auditorium.[16]

Gentlemen of the Road

Dungog hosted the 'Gentlemen of the Road' music festival[17] on 20 October 2012.[18] The Gentlemen of the Road is a single performance special event organised by band Mumford and Sons, for which they select a remote town in the country they are touring and hold a day-long music festival featuring local artists and bands with which they are friends. The "Dungog Stopover" featured Husky, Matt Corby, Willy Mason, Sarah Blasko, Yacht Club DJs, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and headline act Mumford and Sons. Over 13,000 people attended the event held in the town's showground. Attendees were accommodated on campgrounds at the edge of the town, while the band members and entourages stayed at motels and pubs in Dungog.

Education

Dungog High School has approximately 680 students,[19] Children from nearly all of the surrounding towns (e.g.: Clarence Town, Gresford, Paterson, Vacy, Wallarobba, Martins Creek, East Gresford, and Glen Martin) attend.

Historical Society and museum

Founded in 1963, Dungog Historical Society is located in the former School of Arts building which also houses the Dungog Museum. The wide collection showcases Dungog's history and heritage, including information and material about local aboriginals and family history.

The core of the display is Dungog: The Making of a Community, telling the story of Dungog via different themes. The colourful panels were produced with a grant from the NSW Ministry of the Arts. Temporary exhibitions are also held.

Rail transport

The town's railway station has been served by the North Coast railway line since 1911. The Great White Train visit in August 1926 was attended by a large crowd.[20] There are approximately six local and six long-distance services to Dungog each day. All services are run by NSW TrainLink.

Sport

Dungog Soccer Club – "The Boomerangs"

Dungog is the home of Dungog Soccer Club. Nicknamed the "Boomerangs", Dungog compete in the Zone League competitions in the Northern NSW Football Federation. The Club has a strongly established juniors-base with 10 teams competing in competitions across the Hunter Valley.

Other sports

Dungog also has a Rugby League club called the Dungog Warriors which has teams competing in junior and senior competitions. Additionally, Dungog has a Cricket Club and a Netball Association.

The town has 6 tennis courts which serve for children's tennis coaching in addition to primary and high school competitions. Many residents ride horses and compete in local rodeos.

Notable persons
gollark: Yet HelloBoi picked up the coolest one?!
gollark: I also pick up the most averagely-warm rock there.
gollark: Oh, good, good.
gollark: Okay, we must repeatedly approach the generic monster #1, and hand-to-hand-combat it.
gollark: Is this considered a cool rock™?

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Dungog (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 5 January 2019. Material was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
  2. "Dungog". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 31 May 2008.
  3. "Upper Hunter". New South Wales Electoral Commission. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  4. "Lyne". Australian Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 3 August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  5. "Chichester Dam". Climate statistics for Australian locations. Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 2 June 2008.
  6. "Suburb Search – Local Council Boundaries – Hunter (HT)". New South Wales Division of Local Government. Archived from the original on 7 June 2008. Retrieved 31 May 2008.
  7. "Dungog". Land and Property Management Authority - Spatial Information eXchange. New South Wales Land and Property Information. Retrieved 31 May 2008.
  8. "Indigenous history". Visit Dungog. Dungog Shire Visitor Information Centre. 2009. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  9. Michael Williams, Ah Dungog (Dungog Historical Society, 2011)
  10. "Cooreei Bridge over Williams River". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Office of Environment and Heritage. H01465. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  11. "Climate statistics for Chichester Dam". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  12. "James Theatre Dungog Community Centre" (PDF). Dungog Shire Council. 2009. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  13. "Dungog Film Festival 2007 – Preview". Urban Cinefile. 30 May 2007. Retrieved 31 May 2008.
  14. "Dungog film festival seen as example for rural communities". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 4 June 2007. Retrieved 31 May 2008.
  15. "Dungog Film Festival". Retrieved 31 May 2008.
  16. "Dungog Film Festival 2009 – A Practical Guide". Urban Cinefile. 23 April 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
  17. WHAT IS A STOPOVER? gentlemenoftheroad.com. Retrieved 2 August 2015
  18. Richards, Dean (25 October 2012). "REVIEW: GENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD – DUNGOG 2012". adamnoteve.net. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  19. "How to enrol at a Public School – Dungog High School". New South Wales Department of Education and Training. 8 November 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2008.
  20. "GREAT WHITE TRAIN". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842-1954). NSW: National Library of Australia. 31 August 1926. p. 10. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
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